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Churchill Downs Incorporated Acquires AmericaTAB, Bloodstock Research Information Services and Thoroughbred Sports Network Businesses.


Transactions Bring Account-Wagering and Industry-Leading Handicapping and Pedigree Data Service Businesses Into Churchill Downs' Stable

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Churchill Downs Incorporated Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company owns several other thoroughbred and standardbred racetracks. History  (NASDAQ NASDAQ
 in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on
: CHDN) ("Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, Ky.: see Louisville. " or "Company") today announced that through two separate acquisitions, the Company has acquired certain assets of AmericaTAB, Bloodstock bloodstock
Noun

thoroughbred horses

Noun 1. bloodstock - thoroughbred horses (collectively)
breed, strain, stock - a special variety of domesticated animals within a species; "he experimented on a particular breed of
 Research Information Services See Information Systems.  ("BRIS") and the Thoroughbred Sports Network ("TSN TSN The Sporting News
TSN The Sports Network
TSN Targeting Social Need (NI)
TSN Tan Son Nhut (Vietnam)
TSN Time Since New
") for an aggregate purchase price of $80 million, plus potential earn-out payments of up to $7 million. The all-cash transactions, which closed June 11, 2007, include the acquisition of the following advance-deposit wagering ("ADW See Key:Enterprise. ") platforms:

* Winticket.com

* BrisBET.com

* TsnBET.com

Through these transactions, Churchill Downs has also acquired the operations of an industry-leading data services company, BRIS (www.brisnet.com) and TSN (www.tsnhorse.com), which produce handicapping and pedigree reports that are sold to racetracks, horse owners and breeders, horseplayers and racing-related publications.

Robert L. Evans, the Company's president and chief executive officer, said the acquisitions position Churchill Downs for growth in the ADW market, which continues to be the fastest-growing segment of the pari-mutuel industry. "AmericaTAB, BRIS and their affiliates have proven to be some of the most efficiently operated and customer-focused ADW platforms and data services in the industry and will be a great complement to our newly launched TwinSpires account-wagering service," stated Evans. "We anticipate the ADW businesses we have acquired should generate approximately $175 million in handle and approximately $43.6 million in revenue in 2008 and to become accretive to earnings in 2008.

"We look forward to offering all of our ADW account holders benefits through our player-rewards program, the Twin Spires Club, as well as the high-quality handicapping and pedigree information generated by BRIS and TSN. The rich data provided by these information services will be a tremendous resource to customers of all Churchill Downs-operated ADW platforms, including TwinSpires, and will further distinguish our account wagering services from their competitors.

"We also look forward to serving handicappers as well as horse owners, breeders, trainers and bloodstock experts through the BRIS and TSN data services," continued Evans. "Horsemen and horseplayers from all walks of life find BRIS and TSN data products invaluable as they make everyday decisions in the horse racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with  business. We are pleased to add these well-respected organizations to Churchill Downs' stable of companies."

Happy Broadbent, who previously managed the BRIS family of companies, will join Churchill Downs as a corporate vice president and serve as general manager of Winticket.com and the AmericaTAB operations being acquired, as well as BrisBET.com, TsnBET.com and the BRIS and TSN data services. Broadbent will report directly to Vernon Niven, executive vice president of technology initiatives for the Company and president of the TwinSpires account-wagering platform.

"We are excited to become part of North America's most successful horse racing company, Churchill Downs Incorporated," said Broadbent. "Over the years, the Years, The

the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109]

See : Time
 AmericaTAB- and BRIS-affiliated businesses have developed very loyal customers, and we want to assure our account holders and data subscribers that the ADW platforms and information services will continue to operate as they have in the past. We anticipate no significant changes to the ADW services Winticket.com, BrisBET.com and TsnBET.com or to the data sites www.brisnet.com and www.tsnhorse.com. All of these online sites will continue to operate under their existing brands and offer the same quality products and services that our customers have come to expect.

"Additionally, we look forward to enhancing all three ADW platforms by offering customers membership, points and privileges through Churchill Downs' industry-leading Twin Spires Club, as well as offering BRIS and TSN handicapping tools to TwinSpires customers," concluded Broadbent.

There are several regional AmericaTAB-affiliated account-wagering services based at racetracks not owned by Churchill Downs that are not included in the sales transactions. These regional ADW companies will retain their current ownership and management structure. Churchill Downs will provide the regional affiliates with the same franchisee services that AmericaTAB provided.

BRIS, which currently employs approximately 90 staff members, will maintain its current offices in Lexington, Ky. No staffing changes are currently anticipated as a result of the acquisitions.

Churchill Downs will finance the aggregate $80 million purchase price with a $50 million loan from the Company's revolving line of credit Revolving line of credit

A bank line of credit on which the customer pays a commitment fee and can take and repay funds at will. Normally a revolving LOC involves a firm commitment from the bank for a period of several years.
 and with $30 million in cash.

Bob Evans and Bill Carstanjen, executive vice president and chief development officer for Churchill Downs, will discuss the acquisitions with members of the media during a teleconference scheduled for today at 11:30 a.m. EDT EDT
abbr.
Eastern Daylight Time


EDT Eastern Daylight Time

EDT n abbr (US) (= Eastern Daylight Time) → hora de verano de Nueva York

EDT 
. Media representatives wishing to participate in the teleconference should dial (617) 224-4327 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the teleconference and enter the pass code 59785938 when prompted.

Churchill Downs Incorporated ("Churchill Downs"), headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates world-renowned horse racing venues This is a list of horse racing venues, sorted by country. In the United States they are usually called horse racing tracks, and in most other English speaking countries they are usually called racecourses.  throughout the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Churchill Downs' four racetracks in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky and Louisiana host many of North America's most prestigious races, including the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby

One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown.
 and Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles (1811 metres) at Churchill Downs; carry 121 pounds (55 kg). , Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward. It is raced over a distance of 1¼ miles (approximately 2,000 metres) on the turf at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) in , Princess Rooney Handicap The Princess Rooney Handicap is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. Named for the U.S. Hall of Fame filly, Princess Rooney, the race is for fillies and mares three-years-old or older.  and Louisiana Derby The Louisiana Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses run at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans each year, usually in early March. The race is open to horses, age three, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. A Grade II, it offers a purse of $600,000. . Churchill Downs racetracks have hosted seven Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982 by a consortium of North American racing organizations, led by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.  World Championships. Churchill Downs also owns off-track betting facilities and has interests in various advance deposit wagering, television production, telecommunications and racing services companies, including a 50-percent interest in the national cable and satellite network HorseRacing TV[TM], that support the Company's network of simulcasting and racing operations. Churchill Downs trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

Information set forth in this news release contains various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995 (the "Act") provides certain "safe harbor Safe Harbor

1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated.

2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive.
" provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this news release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management's good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will," and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include: the effect of global economic conditions; the effect (including possible increases in the cost of doing business) resulting from future war and terrorist activities or political uncertainties; the economic environment; the impact of increasing insurance costs; the impact of interest rate fluctuations; the effect of any change in our accounting policies or practices; the financial performance of our racing operations; the impact of gaming competition (including lotteries and riverboat riv·er·boat  
n.
A boat suitable for use on a river.
, cruise ship and land-based casinos) and other sports and entertainment options in those markets in which we operate; the impact of live racing day competition with other Florida and Louisiana racetracks within those respective markets; costs associated with our efforts in support of alternative gaming initiatives; costs associated with Customer Relationship Management initiatives; a substantial change in law or regulations affecting pari-mutuel and gaming activities; failure to execute on our business strategies or resistance to our business strategies; a substantial change in allocation of live racing days; litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute.

When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation.
 surrounding the Rosemont, Illinois, riverboat casino; changes in Illinois law that impact revenues of racing operations in Illinois; the impact of an Indiana racetrack and its wagering facilities near our operations; our continued ability to effectively compete for the country's top horses and trainers necessary to field high-quality horse racing; our continued ability to grow our share of the interstate simulcast market; our ability to execute our acquisition strategy and to complete or successfully operate planned expansion projects; our ability to successfully complete any divestiture transaction; our ability to adequately integrate acquired businesses; market reaction to our expansion projects; the loss of our totalisator totalizator, totalisator

a computer-driven, machine-operated betting system which eliminates the bookmaker in the betting industry which surrounds horse and dog racing. Called also parimutuel.
 companies or their inability to provide us assurance of the reliability of their internal control processes through Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 audits or to keep their technology current; the need for various alternative gaming approvals in Louisiana; our accountability for environmental contamination; the loss of key personnel; the impact of natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma on our operations and our ability to adjust the casualty losses through our property and business interruption insurance Noun 1. business interruption insurance - insurance that provides protection for the loss of profits and continuing fixed expenses resulting from a break in commercial activities due to the occurrence of a peril  coverage; any business disruption associated with a natural disaster and/or its aftermath; our ability to integrate businesses we acquire, including our ability to maintain revenues at historic levels and achieve anticipated cost savings; the impact of wagering laws, including changes in laws or enforcement of those laws by regulatory agencies; the effect of claims of third parties to intellectual property rights; and the volatility of our stock price.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jun 12, 2007
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